The ANBU Chronicles File 2: Between Hope and Fear
by Spork Warrior Kore
Summary: This is the second file in my series. Only definite pairing is NejiOC. Premise: Kurenai and her team are kidnapped and forced to fight in an underground circuit. Fights are to the death and it's up to Kakashi and a team of other Jounin to get them back.
1. Resonance

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Simple as that. If I did, there would be a whole lot of death and dying and fucking going on.

A/N: This is the second file of my ANBU Chronicles series. Please enjoy.

File: 2

Chapter: 1- Resonance

Hinata hit the ground on her hands and knees. She spit blood onto the ground and struggled to get to her feet again. Good thing her opponent was too busy gloating to beat on her for the time being. The loud music of the arena pounded into her ears, deafening her to her teammate's shouts of encouragement. The smell of old blood, the sawdust scattered in on the arena floor to soak up the blood, past fights, human sweat, and alcohol assaulted her nose at every turn.She could barely hear the crowd screaming over the loud music and its heavy drumbeats.

She tried to keep her focus on the match but the blood dripping into her eyes was making sight painful. Her lower lip trembled and she bit back tears. She was letting her team down again! 'I have to be strong,' she thought,' Like Shino-kun... and Kiba-kun... and Leiko-chan... and Kurenai-sensei. The kunoichi struggled up to her feet. 'I have to win, I have to win,' she repeated in her mind,' my team is depending on me, I have to win...'. Her hands flew in a series of seals.

"Byakugan!" she said.

Her opponent turned around, his smile frightening ugly on his face. The boy was 18, 3 years older than her and much bigger by at least 3 feet. He was also a very strong in Taijutsu and had taken Hinata down in a few short hits. The Hyuuga girl was down but not defeated. She refused to be beaten, Naruto had at least shown her that. Her teammates had all beaten their opponents. She remembered watching Kiba and Akamaru turn feral for a moment and knock their opponents out with their Beast-Human Bunshin. She remembered Leiko-chan's fight and how calm and collected the other girl was. And how the girl had easily killed her opponent with one of her short swords. She reflected on Shino's fight and how the Aburame heir had been just as cold in his treatment of his opponent. These fights weren't fights to the death, not quite yet. Soon, the fights would be to the death, according to Leiko-chan. Hinata just had to survive these fights. She could do that... right?

"You still want to fight, little kunoichi?" the boy sneered, his ugly blue eyes boring holes into her lavender ones.

Hinata would not back down. She couldn't. She was frozen to the spot partly by fear and partly from determination. No, she could do this. She had to at least knock him out to win.She could do that... right?

"You're shaking already, little kunoichi, just stay still and I'll end it for you," he spat.

She saw him reel his arm back and aim a punch for her face. Her body reacted before her mind could register what was going on. 'Jyuken!' her mind yelled. Hinata swung her hand back and then forward, delivering a devastating palm strike to the boy's stomach. Blood flew from his mouth and Hinata was amazed at the amount of chakra she had pushed into his body. The boy came back for another attack, trying a spin kick aimed for her head. With simple Taijutsu, she guided his kick over her head so his back was to her for a few seconds. A few seconds was all she needed. Hinata spread her hands wide and touched her left index finger to her right index finger and her left thumb to her right thumb, forming a diamond shape with her palms. The backs of her palms touched her chest and in a split second, were thrown forward, striking her opponent in the back with a loud cry. She stepped into the strike with her right foot, adding force to the hit as she snapped her arms foward.

The shockwave from her twin palm strike rocked her opponent. The boy froze, his eyes bulged out of his skull. Blood flowed freely from his mouth and his limbs shook. He dropped to his knees, his pupils contracting. The boy fell face forward in the ring and a river of blood flowed forth from his mouth. His limbs twitched and his body jerked occasionally.

Hinata was breathing hard, her head lowered and her hands still in the position that she had hit him with and her right foot ahead of her left. Blood dripped from her chin, making inaudible splats on the sawdust covered floor. The roar of the crowd drowned out the speakers as the one who was favored to win had fallen. The referee stepped into the ring and grabbed her hand, lifting it high. Hinata all but went limp like a rag doll, her shaking knees barely supporting her frame. She kept her head down, ignoring the referee's declaration of her victory. She hurt all over and just wanted to get out of that hellhole.

The referee dropped her arm and she felt two pairs of hands lift her off her feet. Hinata barely registered the pressure that suddenly enclosed around her neck but she felt the faint hum that told her that the chakra sealing collar that had been taken off before the match was now in place again, reassuring her that she was still the prisoner of her captor.

Shikoku Shimoda and Honoki Akira watched the match from their place in the stands. Shimoda had a fierce-looking falcon perched on his left shoulder. Both men wore suits with no ties. Shimoda's suit was a dark blue to match the hue of his black hair that hung in a ponytail at the base of his neck. Akira wore a black suit, the jacket on the bleachers besides him and the tannish brown shirt underneath with its top button undone. Around his neck, he wore a jade leaf pendant on a black leather cord that hung in front of him. Akira was about 26 years old, with brown hair and bangs that hung in his face, and plain brown eyes. His feet were perched on the row in front of him and his elbows rested on his knees as he studied the fight. Shimoda's jacket was also on the bleachers beside him and relaxed a bit, leaning forward on his knees in a similar position to how Akira was sitting. Around his neck, he wore a leather choker with a milky quartz cloud charm hanging from a silver stud. Shimoda was 36, had a patch over his right eye, black hair, and bangs that partially obscured his eyes. On either side of his ears, he had a long braid that ended with some silver and bone beads. He wore gloves on both hands, thick, tough black leather ones so his falcon could land on either fist. Both wore lanyards with V.I.P. cards clipped onto them that displayed their code names in the underground fighting business. Shimoda was "Cirrus Osprey" and Akira was "Autumn Leaf".

The two men had been watching the fights carefully. They had placed their bets on the boy with the bugs and the Tamasaki girl. The two had bet against the boy with the dog and the lavender-eyed girl. They had won a lot of money from the first two and lost a little bit from the two they bet against. That was fine, they really didn't need the money but bet anyways so they could blend in.

After the lavender-eyed girl had fought, their suspicions were confirmed. Solemnly, they nodded at each other and got up to leave. They grabbed their leather dusters with the black satin lining and their twin black umbrellas, collected their winnings, and left the arena with little ceremony. To them, it was routine but at the same time, it wasn't. The two men went up the stairs at the west entrance of the arena and found themselves in long hallway. They moved with the crowd down the hallway and through a series of twists and turns before walking out into the warehouse where the main crowds gathered to watch the fights on a big viewing screen. Akira and Shimoda easily made their way through the dispersing crowd and outside to the docks.

It was eeriely quiet as they headed down the wharf, their boots thunking dully on the old wood. Shimoda stopped to pack a wad of tobacco into his chestnut long pipe. The glow from his match illuminated his face for a moment, revealing his eye color to be a strange honey color that was almost yellow. He dragged on the pipe and blew a smoke ring into the air. Akira paused to watch, a laugh coming to his lips. The falcon on Shimoda's shoulder flapped its wings and took flight to escape his master's bad habit, opting for Akira's shoulder instead. Shimoda grinned and caught up to Akira.

"So you think it's them?"

"I'd bet on it. They went missing a little over a week ago, according to the Hokage," Akira said," One thing though, I didn't see their sensei."

"Probably kept somewhere to coerce them into fighting," Shimoda responded, dragging on his pipe," That would make the most sense."

"Hai, it is a bit risky to have a genjutsu specailist running around, contained or not," Akira agreed," Most likely they are sedating her."

The two men rounded a corner and left the wharf, moving into the town. They were in the capital city in Rain Country, where unscrupulous practices were quite common. Gambling, prostitution, drug trafficking, you name it and it was there. The city was a very somber one, one that seemed to reek of adrenaline and the depression that settled in after the rush had passed. The city was made even more depressing by the fact that it was usually raining so umbrellas were standard accessories to any outfit. The only good thing about Rain Country was the rainforests that surrounded it and the Amazonian rivers that snaked through it. What wasn't touched by man, was the only beauty to be found in the whole damn country which both men thought was a damn shame.

The whores were beautiful, yes. In fact, It was widely said that the whores from Rain Country were the most beautiful in the known world. Delicate hands, pouty lips, silky hair, smooth skin, bright eyes, Kami they were beauties! However, beneath all that beauty lie an ugliness that no amount of foreplay could make up for. Their hands would demand payment in advance for their services and their prices were high. They were just like every other Rain citizen; on the surface, they were one thing but underneath, they were something totally different. The two men were used to such an environment since both were ninja but they expected it from other ninja, not from ordinary people.

It started to lightly rain and both men opened their umbrellas. Good thing that their apartment building wasn't very far from there. In 5 minutes, they were standing in the foyer of their apartment building, shaking the water off their umbrellas. Slowly, they trudged up the stairs, their boots thumping on the stained wood as dully as they had on the dock. They climbed up to the 5th floor, joking amiably with each other. Once they reached the top floor landing, they headed down the hall. Their apartment, 5F, was at the end of the hall and had a convenient staircase that led to the roof. They had haggled with the landlord for the 2 bedroom apartment for awhile, since it was ideal for Shimoda to keep his birds. Finally, the landlord agreed. Once they got to the door, they were surprised to find that it was already opened despite the fact that they had distinctly remembered locking it. Both men drew their guns, specialized weapons with silencers, and Akira slowly turned the knob. He threw the door open and Shimoda charged in, his gun leading. Akira followed and covered him.

"Oh for Kami's sake!" a female voice said," I surrender the ramen!"

They relaxed and turned towards the kitchen, to the source of the voice. To their relief, it was Kaede, the reformed prostitute that had quit walking the streets and was working to get a degree as a pastry chef at the local community college. Shimoda and Akira had helped her get an honest job as a waitress at a local restaurant to help pay her tuition. To the ninja, she was really one of the few rays of hope for the infernal country.

"Oh, Kaede, the door was unlocked and we thought..."

"Just shut up and wash your hands," she said," I made a special seafood ramen tonight and peach buns for dessert."

That was part of the arrangement. Kaede would cook and clean for the two men and they gave her her own room in the apartment and let her live with them rent free. It was a deal she couldn't refuse. She knew most of their secrets but would never betray them because of all they had done for her. They had a lot of clout in the city, lived frugally, and opened doors for that she would have never been able to open herself. In turn, she cooked and cleaned for them regularly. She had even saved their lives on one occasion when they got an unexpected visit from some rather unsavory characters, directing them instead to the man down the hall who always had his music blaring.

The two men did as she told them and sat down at the table. She spooned three bowls of ramen out and they ate. Kaede was well on her way to being a good cook, in the mens' honest opinion.

Around 5 AM, Shimoda tied a scroll to his prized falcon, Strai, and sent him off from the apartment rooftop. The bird headed southwest, towards Konohagakure, carrying his master's message. The bird flapped hard, knowing that the message was urgent. It didn't overexert itself but moved at a steady pace. As Shimoda watched it disappear into the clouds, he was confident that the bird would make it to Konoha by nightfall.

A/N: Woo! First chapter! I hope you all enjoy it because, well, I had fun writing it! Please leave reviews, even if it is just to tell me how much I suck. Gratzi.


	2. Preparations

A/N: Second Chapter. Woo. I've been diligently looking for a job and, well, the search hasn't been going so well. So, in the mean time, I write fics that probably won't get a second glance in some dusty corner of the internet. That entire line runs parallel to the story of my life, ironically. ;

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto and we all know why. I do own Arashi, Kouji, Kaede, Shimoda, Akira (sort of. He is an unnamed character from the series that I gave a name and personality to. He's that young guy in one of the watchtowers when the attack on Konoha began), and Strai. Tamasaki Leiko is an OC that a friend of mine roleplays with. Steal Leiko or any of my characters and you will be hunted down, tortured, disembolled, your body liquified piece by piece in my George Foreman blender, then your remains flushed down the toilet. CSI will be hard-pressed to find any trace of your body. That being said, enjoy the fic!

File #2- Inter Spem et Metum (Between Hope and Fear)

Chapter 2- Preparations

Arashi and Tsunade had both done faceplants into their desks within 5 minutes of each other around 6 AM. Both women had raging hangovers from their sake-filled night off and were feeling the effects today. Arashi had bags under her eyes and Tsunade's complexion was less than refreshed. Both wanted to sleep but knew that they couldn't. Both were now drooling onto stacks of papers that they should have been reviewing and signing.

Yamashiro Aoba and Tsukioka Kouji walked down the hall, each carrying files for their respective Kages. As they walked, flashes of lightening illuminated the hall from the storm outside. The two had become good friends in a short amount of time. Both were personal assistants to the Hokage and the Raikage- honors conferred upon few. They were good at their work and had an upbeat attitude, the patience of saints, and dedication to their work. Kouji had been Arashi's assistant for almost 5 years already, never complaining once. Aoba had been Tsunade's assistant for 3 or 4 years now. Now, as they neared the hall end, Kouji put a finger to his lips and pressed an ear to the door.

"Don't eavesdrop, Kouji, you fool! Tsunade will have your head!" Aoba whispered frantically.

"Be cool Yamashiro, be cool," Kouji said in his usual drawl, rolling his toothpick around in his mouth.

Nothing ever seemed to faze the man or catch him by surprise. Aoba was always in constant awe of his partner. They knocked lightly on the door. No answer, no surprise. Aoba tried the door but found it locked.

"The hell? Since when did they start locking the door?" Aoba wondered outloud.

"Probably privacy," Kouji said, pressing an ear to the door," Or a little girl on girl action from the sounds of it."

Aoba blanched and his eyes bugged. He tried to respond but couldn't seem to form a coherent sentence. Kouji tilted his sunglasses down at him, his ear still at the door.

"Dude, you have to hear this," Kouji said," Sounds like Tsunade's dominating."

A bright flush formed on Aoba's cheeks. He coughed and tried to muster up a professional attitude.

"Kouji! How- how unprofessional of you! Whatever goes on in that office is strictly between Tsunade-sama and Arashi-sama! Perhaps we should come back later-" Aoba sputtered.

Kouji flicked his toothpick in an annoyed fashion. He stood up and placed his hands on Aoba's shoulders, his face solemn.

"May you one day get laid, my friend," he said," And I wish much perversion upon your pure mind."

Aoba adjusted his glasses nervously.

"Damn, will you get a grip? The only thing I heard in the office was the fact that those two are snoring soundly on their desks again," Kouji said.

Aoba relaxed a bit and ran a hand through his hair. He looked visibly relieved.

"Ah, it was just a joke then!" he said weakly, chuckling a bit," Good joke."

"Some days I fear you are hopeless, Yamashiro," Kouji sighed," C'mon now, let's wake those two up."

"I sure hope you don't intend on creating a lot of noise last time. You stirred up the ANBU last time and both of us got reprimanded."

"Be cool, Yamashiro, be cool."

Kouji reached up with a free hand, concentrating momentarily and letting his hand glow a dull blue. He then pressed his hand against the door beside the knob and Aoba watched as his hand slid right through the door. Kouji grinned, hooked his hand and flipped the lock. He retracted his hand and the glowing faded. The ninja then opened the door like any other human being would and went in. The two ninja went in on tip-toe into the office. Aoba picked up one of the larger books from Tsunade's bookshelf and opened it quietly. Kouji gave him a count.

"1... 2.."

"Wait, wait, wait. Do we go 1,2,3 and then I close the book or 1,2,3 and go on 3?"

"Yeah, 1, 2, and go on 3."

"Okay, gotcha, gotcha."

"One... two... THREE!"

Aoba snapped the book shut making a loud wham! sound. Tsunade and Arashi jerked awake suddenly. Tsunade made two kunai airborne in a flash. Aoba ducked one and Kouji just let the other one sail right through him, thunking into the wall behind him. Arashi had a scroll stuck to one cheek.

"The fuck-?" Arashi garbled.

"How did you two get in here?" Tsunade asked sleepily.

"Damn Tsukioka ghosting techniques," Arashi hissed, yanking the scroll off her face.

Kouji smirked and Aoba adjusted his glasses.

"Yes, well, what would you do without me, Raikage-dono?" Kouji said.

Arashi whipped him the finger.

"As much as I would love to occupy your bed for bragging rights, I'm afraid Iruka-kun would have a fit if he knew," Kouji said.

"Some days, I wonder if it would be easier to just zap you and put you out of my misery," Arashi yawned.

"Aww...," Kouji crooned," Anyhow, Aoba and I have a few files for you two and-"

A loud screech made all four of them jump. All eyes turned towards the balcony doors between Arashi and Tsunade- where the screech had come from. Perched on the railing in the hard rain was Strai, Shimoda's prized falcon. The bird was wet and hating it. It squawked again.

Arashi arose and went to the doors. She opened them and the bird flew in. She had also let the wind in and the hunter green drapes of the office billowed in around her, some of the rain coming in as well. Strai flew in and perched on Kouji's head, shaking the water from it's wings. Kouji winced as the bird dried off on him and felt it's talons dig into his scalp almost painfully. Arashi shut the doors and turned towards them.

Strai stuck his leg out and Arashi relieved him of the scroll tied to his leg. The bird relaxed. Arashi went to the closet and opened the door. Inside, there were a few boxes of files, some coats and umbrellas, and a bird stand in one corner. Arashi dragged the bird stand out and propped it up beside her desk. Strai immediately detached himself from Kouji's head and flew over to the perch.

"Kouji, please go fetch some bottled water for Strai and a few pieces of meat," Arashi said," He's had a long journey and deserves some rest."

Kouji bowed.

"Hai, Arashi-dono," he said and left, walking straight through the door.

Tsunade and Aoba watched as Arashi unfolded the scroll, thankfully written with waterproof ink on stiff paper. Aoba quietly handed the files he was holding to Tsunade while Arashi read. Tsunade started to thumb through them, her eyes widening at one particular file.

"Aoba, why didn't you tell me sooner that Kurenai and her team have disappeared?" Tsunade asked," Kami, that team contains 2 clan heirs. How many people know about this?"

"Only me and the file keeper at the Genin Offices," Aoba responded.

"Tsunade-sama," Arashi said," I have word from Shikoku Shimoda and Honoki Akira, our agents in the Rain Country."

Tsunade turned towards Arashi.

"Well, what did they say?"

"Shimoda and Akira report that they have sighted Tamasaki Leiko, Aburame Shino, Inuzuka Kiba, and Hyuuga Hinata at the fight rings in the capitol city. They want orders on how to procede. What do you suggest Tsunade-sama?"

"Aoba, please excuse us. Arashi-sama and I need to confer."

Aoba bowed and left, shutting the door behind him. As soon as he was gone, Tsunade rubbed her eyes and rolled her chair over to Arashi's desk and read the message. She wasn't sure whether to be relieved or even more worried.

"At least we know where they are," Arashi said," It gives us a place to start. Personally, I am in favor of using our agents to get some of our ninja into the fighting circuits."

"I'm in favor of sending ninja to simply get them out and protecting our agents' cover," Tsunade said," Remember that 7 lives are at stake rather than 5. That and Kurenai is the only one unaccounted for."

"Hai," Arashi said, tapping her pencil in thought.

There was a commotion out in the hallway. Aoba was protesting loudly and trying to fight someone off. Both Kages turned their heads towards the door and stood up as one as it suddenly swung open.

"I'm sorry Hokage-sama, Raikage-sama!" Aoba panted," He demanded entrance and hit my kidneys!"

Aoba fell to the floor and curled up in a ball, clutching his sides. The figure that stood before them was about 5'10 with long ebony hair, wet from the rain and loose. His skin was a light peach and his eyes made the lavender irises piercing. His presence was commanding, and his wet knee-length rain coat only added to it. His expression was stern and he had hardly exerted himself in his tussle with Aoba. Tsunade narrowed her eyes at the young man and frowned. Strai flapped his wings and screeched at the young man.

"Have you forgotten how to knock, Hyuuga Neji?" Tsunade asked coolly.

"I apologize for my intrusion, Hokage-sama and Raikage-sama," he said, bowing his head. Droplets of water dripped onto the floor from his loose, raven hair," But I need to ask your permission to go on a special mission."

"Make it fast," Tsunade said," Arashi-sama and I have important business to attend to."

"I hope you are referring to the disappearance of my cousin, Hinata," he said.

Tsunade was surprised but didn't show it.

"Yes, that is what we were discussing, as a matter of fact," Tsunade responded," I assume that you are volunteering your services?"

"Hai, Tsunade-sama," he replied," I want to help in any way possible."

Before Tsunade could respond, Arashi spoke.

"I have an idea that may require your services, if you are so eager to be of service, Neji-kun," Arashi responded," but first, Tsunade-sama and I need to discuss an appropriate course of action since this involves both Leaf and Cloud nin."

"Please wait outside, Neji," Tsunade said.

Neji had no choice but to obey. He bowed again and left, careful not to trip over Aoba, who crawled out after him a second later. Through his pain, he had the presence of mind to shut the door behind him. Strai squawked and settled back on the perch for a nap.

"Tsunade," Arashi said," Perhaps we can submit our own fighters into the circuit."

"To what end?"

"Send two fake agents and two or three fighters and enter them in the circuit. They'll rise quickly, no doubt, and soon the agents will be V.I.P. That means that they'll have access to all the other agents and fighters."

"Go on."

"These circuits run by class, D-class being the lowest and S-class being the highest, like missions," Arashi explained," If one is talented enough, they can aspire to S-class in a few months."

"Then that should be no problem," Tsunade said," We'll just send some ANBU as our fighters."

"There is an age limit, Tsunade," Arashi said," You have to have been in the curcuit by your 20th birthday to still compete. So if you start fighting when you were 19, they will let you compete even if you are older than 20. We need young ones and talented young ones. Genin and Chuunin tend to recieve a lot of attention."

"Alright, so we send a Jounin and a Genin?" Tsunade asked.

"Two Jounin and six Genin or Chuunin," Arashi said," If they need to break them out of the holding cells and the prisons they keep them in, we will need as much manpower as we can provide without raising suspicion."

"That sounds like overkill."

"Trust me, it isn't."

"Alright. So one Leaf Jounin and one Cloud Jounin?"

"Yes, this is a matter that concerns one of my people as well so I must insist on adding my forces to the roster."

"Done. We will each select one Jounin and three Genin or Chuunin for this mission," Tsunade said.

Meanwhile, Neji waited outside impatiently. Aoba was still clutching his sides but was able to walk about. Neji clasped his hands together and touched his thumbs to his lips. He had taken a seat on the bench in the hallway outside the Kages' office and had his elbows resting on his knees. The Hyuuga was worried about what had happened to his cousin. In fact, the whole clan was worried when Kurenai and her team hadn't returned from what was supposed to be a routine escorting mission to Rain Country. Neji had had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach from the moment Hinata had told him of the mission. The two had grown close in the subsequent 3 years since Hinata's first shot at the Chuunin exams. Hinata had forgiven Neji for his attempt to kill her even though he still hadn't forgiven himself for it.

He sighed and shook his hair back. He had lost his hair tie somewhere along the line and his wet, waist length hair was in tangles. Slowly, he reached into his coat and took out a simple ivory comb. Neji liked neatness and his appearance and image had always been important to him. He didn't care what other people thought of him particularly but he liked to be neat and groomed at all times. Slowly, he worked the snarls out of his rain soaked hair, careful not to break the silky ebon tresses.

Hinata was not the only one he was worried about. Neji was worried about her entire team as well. Neji liked talking to Shino because of his brevity and straightforwardness about everything. Kiba was always good for a laugh and had his own brand of humor that was uniquely his. He worried for Tamasaki Leiko, the not really recent addition to the team who besides being rather beautiful, was a formidable sparring partner. She had come to Konoha with the rest of the Kumogakure disaster survivors about 3 years ago and some of their genin and chuunin were farmed out to some of the Konoha teams. Leiko had been placed with Kurenai's team because of her genjutsu bloodline. To Neji, she was an enigma and he rather liked puzzles. He got the last tangle out and pushed the silken mass over his shoulder, tucking some shorter pieces behind his ears since they kept slipping back over his shoulders.

Kouji reappeared in the hallway with a bottle of water and small can of raw, cubed chicken. He was wet as well since he had left the building to get the water and meat for the falcon. He knocked on the Kages' door and was allowed back in. Neji looked over curiously but Kouji had shut the door behind him. He fought the urge to press his ear to the door, knowing it was rude to do so. Several moments passed in silence. Neji could hear muffled talking behind the door. He wanted to activate his Byakugan but Aoba's watchful eye prevented him from doing so.

The door creaked open and Neji stood up. Neji and Kouji's eyes met, lavender gripping swampy green-grey eyes. Aoba stepped forward.

"Well?" Aoba asked.

"Neji-kun, Hokage-sama and Raikage-sama want to see us," Kouji said, a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth," Now."

A/N: What to say? I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please leave reviews!


	3. The Players Assemble

A/N: I LOVE MY LOYAL READERS! ::glomps them all:: You guys are my motivation to write. It's kinda odd but I have this insatiable need to please people and make people happy... just a weird aspect of my personality.

Disclaimer: Is this really all that necessary?

File #2- Inter Spem et Metum (Between Hope and Fear)

Chapter 3- The Players Assemble

Neji entered the office and bowed politely to the two lady Kages. After the appropriate amount of time, he stood back up straight. Kouji was beside him, his black hair that faded to light brown towards the end rather wet still. Aoba had come in as well, at Tsunade's request.

Tsunade and Arashi stood. Tsunade spoke first since she was easily 30 years Arashi's senior and a sennin as well. Besides, this was her territory and Arashi bowed to her authority out of respect for her.

"Hyuuga Neji and Tsukioka Kouji," Tsunade began," You two, along with six others, have been chosen to go on a special retrieval mission. I will brief you further once Aoba returns with the other 6. I do hate to repeat myself."

Arashi held a scroll out to Aoba who stepped forward to accept it.

"With all due speed," Arashi said.

Aoba bowed and left.

"For the time being, you two may have seat either in here or in the hall," Tsunade said," When the team is assembled, I will elaborate."

Neji and Kouji both took seats out in the hall to wait. Neither spoke to another and Neji assumed his previous pose with his hands clasped, thumbs touching his lips and his elbows on his knees. Kouji was slouched against the wall, chewing his toothpick nervously. Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled from the storm outside, adding light to the generally dark hallway. Both men were tense but didn't show it.

Soon, two figures appeared in the hallway, both wearing animal masks. One was taller than the other and wore a mask that was black and in the shape of a woman's face. The lips her blood red, the eyes black holes, and the Pleiades constellation in glass shards on the forehead. There were scarlet teardrops that flowed down the mask's cheeks and the eyes looked like they were outlined in blood. The mask was rather macabre in Neji's opinion. The figure beside the other was smaller, probably a few inches shorter than himself. Their mask was pitch black, unlike the others and seemed to take on a cat-like appearance with white streaks on the cheeks for whiskers. The eyes were narrow like a cat's and outlined in white. On the forehead, there was an odd stylized sun. Neji was about to remark when the two swept past and into the office. They didn't come out.

About 20 minutes later, two familiar faces emerged into the hallway wearing rain coats similar to Neji's. Both pushed their hoods off and Neji was mildly surprised to see the 16 year old faces of Nara Shikamaru and Yamanaka Ino. Both were yawning and looked as though they had just woken up only moments earlier. Both were chuunin level ninja who had qualified for the Jounin exams that were to be held two months from then. Shikamaru would have been a Jounin by now but he was too lazy to take the test. Ino had been nagging him into the ground to try out for th exam and he gave in, if only to shut her up. Since Sasuke had left, Ino shifted her focus to Shikamaru. The Chuunin exams 3 years ago had gotten her to appreciate Shikamaru's finer qualities besides his laziness. The two were sort of seeing each other but not really. It was heard to describe their relationship, honestly. They approached Neji and gave him a friendly nod. They went into the Kages' office and after a few minutes, Shikamaru came out and plopped down beside Neji.

"Special retrieval mission, eh?" Shikamaru asked.

"Yeah," Neji said.

Ino came out, still yawning. There wasn't much bench space left so she just plopped down in Shikamaru's lap. In the past few years, she had gotten a little taller but not by much. Shikamaru was 5'9, easily, and Ino was about 5'2. She lay against Shikamaru's chest and he curled his arms around her protectively. Within minutes, she was asleep again. Neji stood and leaned on the wall opposite the bench between two windows. Shikamaru shifted Ino so she wasn't so cramped. Kouji wordlessly glowed a dull blue and sunk down through the floor, much to the shock of all, leaving his toothpick on the floor in his wake.

"Goddammit..." Kouji spat.

A hand reached up through the floor and felt around until it found the toothpick. The hand grabbed the toothpick and slid back down through the floor.

If Shikamaru was asleep before, he was awake now. It wasn't everyday that someone just slid into the floor with no word or fanfare. Neji was looking visibly stunned and unsure of how to react. Appearantly, it was his first time seeing a human slide into the floor as well.

"Umm... Nara? The FUCK was that?" Neji asked.

"What makes you think I know?" Shikamaru retorted.

"You're supposed to be a genius," Neji replied.

"Tsukioka ghosting techniques, native to Kumogakure," a voice said behind them.

Lavender eyes and brown eyes turned towards the Kages' office door. The tall person with the constellation on her mask on their face pushed her hood back and slid her mask off. Her skin was a warm cocoa color and her hair was an odd platinum white with purple undertones and tied in a messy bun, speared with two silver chopsticks. Most striking were her eyes- they were a lovely grey with silvery shards glinting in the lightning flashes, much like the Raikage's eyes. Both young men figured that there was a relation between the two. Her expression was a bit smug but more or less amused.

"Excuse me?" Neji asked.

"Tsukioka ghosting techniques," the woman repeated," Kouji is a member of the Tsukioka clan as well as his twin sister Hakuya and his twin brother Shayou. They are the only survivors of their clan that we know of. The Tsukiokas specialize in "ghosting" techniques. They can pass their bodies through solid objects or let solid objects pass through them. It's really quite handy in combat but rather annoying to fight unless you have the right skills."

As if on cue, Kouji reappeared, sliding up through the floor as if he had jumped. He landed easily on the floor, a pillow in hand. He strolled up to Shikamaru and handed him the pillow. The genius stared at it untrustingly.

"C'mon now, you act as if I was offering you a scorpion," he said.

Shikamaru reluctantly took it and lifted Ino's head gently, tucking it under the girl's head and letting her settle onto it. Neji had crossed his arms and looked over at the woman.

"I didn't catch your name," Neji said.

"I never threw it out there," she said simply, and went back into the office.

20 minutes later, a tired looking girl came into the hallway wearing a rain slicker as well and yawning. In the available light, Shikamaru and Neji could barely see her elongated canines and her slightly clawed hands. Her eyes were a beautiful blue with slitted pupils and had her clan markings, twin lines of black that spiked from the outer corners of her eyes. From what they could tell, her hair was as black as Neji's, up in a high ponytail, and her skin had a light tan. She looked a bit predatory but then again, it seemed like most of the ninja from Kumo looked like that.

The girl swept past them and entered the office. After a few minutes, she waved those in the hallway back into the office. Neji leaned up off the wall and Shikamaru laid a hand on Ino's cheek and whispered to her.

"Ino-chan... time to wake up... mission time," he whispered.

Ino stirred and opened her pale blue eyes. She hugged the pillow and got up, yawning. Shikamaru stood and eased a hand under her elbow, helping her to her feet. Ino got to her feet, the pillow under her arm. Shikamaru slipped an arm around her waist and led her into the office while she blinked the sleep from her eyes. Neji followed the couple in and Kouji brought up the rear.

In the office, Aoba was busying himself making coffee for those who had just woken up. Even the Kages looked like they needed a cup or 10, especially since they had been drinking the night before. Arashi still looked visibly smashed, for all intents and purposes. She wasn't used to drinking so much whereas it was a daily thing for Tsunade. Aoba passed out warm cups of coffee to everyone who wanted one.

"Just one more," Arashi said, sipping her coffee.

"Hatake Kakashi is always late for everything," Tsunade responded," so he could walk in here at any-"

"Present!" Kakashi said, striding into the office.

The Jounin was dressed in his usual outfit but a black rain coat covered most of it. His usual spiky hair was weighed down with water, water that was currently soiling the carpet along with mud from his boots. 'The janitor is going to have a field day with that,' everyone thought as they turned to look at him. Kakashi met the eyes of the tall, white-haired woman. She gave him a nod and he returned it.

"Well now that we are here, we can begin the briefing. First, introductions," Tsunade said.

They went from right to left, starting with the still sleepy Ino who was leaning on Shikamaru and holding a cup of coffee. She blinked and gave a lazy wave with her free hand.

"I'm Yamanaka Ino, Chuunin, 16 years old, mind-soul jutsu specialist" she said.

"Nara Shikamaru, Chuunin, 16, shadow jutsu specialist" Shikamaru said, brevity being his specialty besides shadow manipulation.

"Hyuuga Neji, Chuunin, 17 years old, Byakugan user," Neji said.

"Hatake Kakashi, Jounin, my age is irrelevent, and I am the Mirror Ninja that is the stuff of legends!"

"Save it," Tsunade said. Kakashi blushed slightly.

"Tsukioka Kouji, Jounin, 19 years old, pain in the ass," Kouji said. A look from Arashi and he smirked," and Tsukioka ghosting techniques user."

Next was the person with the white sun on their black mask. This person pushed their hood back and lifted their mask, revealing pretty blue-green eyes, warm tan skin, and black hair that faded to light brown, like Kouji's, and tied in a loose ponytail at the base of her neck. She was smiling and what a smile it was! Neji inwardly remarked at how pretty she was.

"Tsukioka Hakuya, Cloud ANBU, 19 years old, Tsukioka ghosting techniques master," she said.

'Pretty _and_ skilled,' Neji remarked mentally. Next was the blue-eyed girl they saw in the hall who was on her 4th cup of coffee. She gave a yawn before speaking.

"Kurochi Tsume, Chuunin, 16, chakra specialist," she said.

Finally, the tall, stoic woman spoke. The Leaf Chuunin were very curious about her.

"Saetayoru Subaru, Cloud ANBU Captain, 30, Hakyougan master, medical nin, and kinjutsu specialist," she said in a flat voice.

A silence enveloped the room as the two Kages arranged themselves.

"This is a retrieval mission," Tsunade said," your objective is to recover Yuuhi Kurenai, Aburame Shino, Hyuuga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba, and Tamasaki Leiko. We have word that they are in Rain Country, in the capital city of Amefuri. Our undercover agents there spotted the Chuunin on the illegal fight circuits but Yuuhi Kurenai has yet to be located."

There was general unrest among various members of the group. Everyone had someone precious to them mentioned on the list or someone dear to them. Subaru and the Tsukioka twins scowled when Leiko's name was mentioned. Leiko had been Subaru's charge for awhile and the older woman was very protective of her, like she was to her two children, Kamui and Tsuyu. Neji had heard who was missing already so there was no change. Ino was worried for Hinata. Shikamaru for Shino, probably the only guy who could even challenge him at Shougi or Go. Tsume bared her fangs slightly at the mention of Kiba. Kakashi tensed when he heard that Kurenai hadn't been located.

"Alright, all of you will be going undercover," Arashi said," Subaru and Kakashi will be your sponsors so you two need to dress sharp and look the part of enterprising individuals. You can work seperately or together, whatever you choose. Kakashi, I recommend that you cover up that eye and scar somehow."

Kakashi nodded and exchanged glances with Subaru, as if to size her up. Subaru appeared to do the same.

"That being said," Tsunade continued," Those from the Cloud and those from the Leaf will be divided into teams. Naturally, the Cloud will be under Subaru's command and the Leaf will be under Kakashi's command. You may exchange people as well. Arashi-sama has told me that some of these fights are 2 on 2 so we each have selected people that can work together and tag-team in a fight. In this case, the Tsukiokas for the Cloud and Ino-chan and Shikamaru-kun for the Leaf. You all are welcome to wear what you want."

More looks were exchanged.

"Time to come out of retirement, brother dear," Hakuya said, smirking at Kouji.

"Oh shut up," he retorted, chewing on his toothpick.

The Clouds chuckled warmly at Kouji's embarassment.

"It's almost 8 AM now. You all will be leaving in 12 hours. Meet at the north gate in 12 hours. Be ready to go at a moments notice if we get the paperwork done faster though. By then, Tsunade and I will have written the scrolls necessary for your safe departure into Rain Country," Arashi said," Once you get to Rain Country, we will give you directions on how to reach our agents there."

"Akira-kun?" Hakuya asked hopefully.

"Hai, Akira-kun and Shimoda-san," Arashi replied.

"Any questions?" Tsunade asked.

Neji, Shikamaru, and Tsume raised their hands at once. The nin looked at each other.

"Ladies first," Shikamaru said," That means you, Neji."

"Die shitting, Nara," Neji returned, smoothly.

A stern look from the adults in the room stopped Shikamaru from retorting. Tsume spoke up.

"What sort of fights are these?"

"I will not lie," Arashi said," Some fights are fights to the death once you reach the upper levels. Just starting out though, that fights are either knock-out or unable to continue. Sometimes, if a valuable fighter is on the verge of dying, their sponsor will pay a sum and fast to get them to stop the fight but it is rather rare. Shikamaru?"

"How long is this mission supposed to be?"

"About a month or so. Subaru and Kakashi will be in control of that. Neji?"

"If we are in a fight to the death, will we be held liable if we do kill our opponent? Do we even have permission to take a life?"

An odd silence fell over the room. Subaru trained her silvery eyes on the Hyuuga in silent admiration. 'He has the potential to make a great ANBU,' she thought,' it's a shame he was not born in Kumo. I would have loved to teach him.' The Kages exchanged glances.

"Yes," they said in unison.

"If you are required to take a life, take it," Tsunade said.

"Do what is necessary to preserve your own lives," Arashi said, her voice hard," If there aren't anymore burning questions, you all are dismissed."

There were none.

A/N: Finally... 3rd chappie done! Leave reviews and please enjoy!


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